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Adolescents living in conflict zones face multiple challenges regulating their emotions while coping with chronic stress stemming from exposure to political violence. Little is known about how different emotion regulation practices might affect psychological adjustment under these conditions. This study examined how emotion regulation styles (reported by adolescents) and parenting behaviors (reported by adolescents and mothers) were associated with adolescents’ reported adjustment under conditions of prolonged armed conflict. Data were collected from 59 Israeli families at three time points: during a relatively calm period, during military escalation, and six weeks after the escalation. Three emotion regulation styles were examined: integrative, controlled, and dysregulated. Results revealed that dysregulation predicted lower levels of resilience and mastery, and control predicted greater illbeing, with effects persisting after threats subsided. Integration showed only marginal benefits during conflict escalation. Supportive maternal behaviors were linked to higher levels of adolescent emotional expression and help-seeking behaviors and psychosocial health. The findings suggest adaptation to chronic threat involves both intrapersonal and interpersonal efforts. While some regulatory strategies may serve protective functions in high-threat environments, they can have psychological and social costs, particularly during adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of addressing both parental and adolescent emotional needs in areas affected by violent conflict, while acknowledging the complex person-environment adaptations that emerge under chronic threat conditions. Implications for intervention strategies and policy recommendations are discussed.
Scharf et al. (Fri,) studied this question.